Natural slate roofing in Kerry, Cork and Limerick
Quarried stone slate, graded by thickness and laid course by course with a dry ridge on top. The longest lasting roof covering we fit, and the heaviest, so the structure has to carry it.
Covers natural slate roofs, re-slating, Spanish and Welsh slate, and slate repairs.
Updated September 2026
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Roofs this suits
Period and listed houses
Roofs where the original covering was slate
Buildings where the planners ask for stone
Full re-roofs meant to last decades
Sixty years and more when the battens and felt underneath are done properly.
What you get for the money
Lasts longer than anything else we fit, sixty years and beyond
Every slate can be lifted and replaced on its own
Colour and texture that suits older stone and render
Higher cost per square metre, and the roof structure has to carry the weight.
Natural slate, in numbers
Typical life
80 to 100 years for the slate itself, longer again where the battens and membrane under it were done properly
Minimum pitch
20 degrees for a standard graded Spanish slate. We go to 25 on exposed coastal roofs and increase the head lap with it
Weight on the roof
25 to 35 kg per square metre depending on grade and thickness, so rafters and wall plates get checked before we price it
Fixings
Two aluminium or copper nails per slate, or slate hooks on a steep or exposed pitch. Never galvanised within sight of the sea
Fitted price guide
Roughly EUR 95 to EUR 150 per square metre supplied and fitted, scaffold on top
Repairs
Slate by slate. A single broken slate is a tingle or a re-hook, not a section strip
Prices are a guide for Kerry, Cork and Limerick and they move with roof size, pitch, access and scaffold. You get a fixed written figure after a free survey, not a range.
What goes on the roof under the slate
Slate is graded by thickness, not only by size. We sort the load so the thickest slates go at the eaves and the courses thin as they climb. That is how a slate roof sits flat and stays flat, and it is the first thing dropped on a cheap job.
Head lap comes from the pitch and the exposure of the site, not from a number on a page. A roof outside Kenmare facing open water gets more lap than the same pitch in a sheltered estate. Under the slate goes a breather membrane on treated 50 x 25 battens, or 50 x 35 where the rafter centres are wide.
Near the coast we fix with aluminium or copper. Galvanised nails hold for a few years then let go from the inside, and by the time slates are on the lawn the whole roof is loose. The other thing that decides how long a slate roof lasts is the lead at the chimneys and valleys, which we renew rather than seal over on every re-roof we do.
Natural slate, asked and answered
How long does a natural slate roof last in Ireland?
Eighty years and more for the slate itself. What fails first is everything around it: the battens, the underlay, the nails and the lead at the chimney. That is why a full re-slate done once beats patching it every winter.
Will my roof structure carry natural slate?
Usually yes if the roof was slate to begin with. If the house was built with concrete tile the structure is normally more than strong enough, because concrete tile is heavier again. If it is currently fibre cement slate we measure the rafter sizes and centres before we quote. We settle this at survey stage, not after the scaffold is up.
Is Spanish slate as good as Welsh slate?
Graded Spanish slate is tested and will outlast most of us. Poor Spanish slate carries iron that rusts and splits the slate inside a few years. The difference is the quarry and the grade, not the country. We name the slate on the quote so you can look it up yourself.
Can you replace just a few slipped slates?
Yes. A slipped slate is usually a nail that has gone rather than a broken slate. We lift the courses above, re-hook or re-nail and put it back. If the nails are going across the whole roof we will tell you, because at that point patching is money down the drain.
How much does a natural slate roof cost?
Natural slate is typically €150 to €220 per m² for materials and labour, before scaffold. Replacing 1 to 5 slipped slates usually costs €150 to €400.
We work with what suits the building
Not sure which material suits your roof?
Send us the address and a couple of photos. We will tell you straight what the roof needs, what it costs and how long it takes.